Index or file card stop



July 30, 1929. w, DAY ET AL 1,722,563

INDEX OR FILE CARD STOP Filed Oct. 19, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 30, 1929. w. Y ET AL 1,722,563

INDEX OR FILE CARD STOP Filed Oct. 19, 1925 2 Sheets-Shet 2 7 gmmm I additional index cards to be added to the Fatented July 30, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE- WILLIAM H. DAY, E EAST HAVELLANZD oLIEEoE'nE. THOMAS, OF wEsT AVEN,

- ooNNEcTIcUT, ASSIGNORS, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To REMINGTON RAND INo.;, OF TONAWANDA, NE YORK, A CORPORATION OE DELAWARE.

INDEX OR FILE CARD STOP.

Application filed October 19, 1923. Serial No. 669,523.

This invention relates to filing and indexing equipment in which sheets or cards are arranged flatwise on a record-carrying member in overlapped relation, with the margin of each card exposed to view, and more particularly to an improved supportingdevice or card stop for retaining such sheets or cards in predetermined position upon such a record carrying member.

In equipment of this class, various types of record carrying members are employed, among which the principal ones are shallow trays or drawers, vertically swinging leaves and stationary vertical leaves or racks. These record carrying members are provided with various styles of card guides or engaging members, the majority ofwhich allow the cards to slide lengthwise of the record carrying members singly and in groups, in order that the body portion of any card may be uncovered and the data thereon made accessible. In some instances, the cards are nested together, and when the separation above referred to takes place, are disengaged from each other to such an extent that inconvenience is caused in renesting, due to the lower edge of one card slipping above the upper edge of the overlying card. It has also been found that where the cards are in a tray or drawer of a cabinet and such tray or drawer is returned to its compartment afterzbeing withdrawntherefrom, a number of the index vertical racks or leaves are used, cards of the downhanging type are sometimes supplied. In these instances, it is occasionally desirable, especially when only a few cards are filed on a leaf, to hold them in a compact body or group on the leaf.

The principal object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a supporting device adapted for use with any of the above mentioned styles of indexes, and by the use of which a card or group of cards either nested or otherwise may be retained in a predetermined position upon the guide or support.

Another object of thisinvention is to provide a device which will be adapted toallow record carrying member, and will at the same time serve to retain all of the cards upon the holder in the same relative position as they had previous to the addition. f

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will have theadvantage of being readily adjustable relatively to the record carrying member and which will nevertheless be. locked thereon when once located.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a card support of simple construction adjustable in its use, capable of adaptation to various forms of record carrying members or devices, and being especially useful in equipment using cards of the nested overlapping type. I 7 To these and other ends the invention con sists of the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described. and claimed. 7 i i In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front'view of a cabinet, having a plurality of drawers in which'our novel car support is used; I

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the drawers showing our card-support in position to. sup port a plurality of overlapping'nested index d 1 J positively .1

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a similardrawer" showing the card-support acting as a limiting means, allowing a predetermined amount of sliding movement ofthe cards, Fig. 4 is a view showing a vertical "swinging. leaf, provided with our card support,"which is shown" supporting a pluralityuof dowm hanging index cards; 1 V Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view ofa portion of the drawer shown in Fig. 2, with a card support securedtheretoyother possible posi tions of the card support being shown by'the dotted lines; 95 l Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a section on line 77' of Fig. 5,

and I carrying members in substantially the same manner. In Fig. 2, the card 10 comprises a base portion 11, with a body portion 12 hinged thereto at 11, and is shown lying flatwise on a drawer in what is known as an upstanding position, i. e., with its free edge at the top so that the index matter is placed on the upper margin. The base portion 11 is provided with die cut tongues 13, which are sprung rearwardly to engage outwardly extending flanges 14, on a supporting bar or guide 15, which is secured upon a drawer or tray 16.

a The tongues 13 are spaced from the bottom edge 18 of the base portion 11 a sufiicient distance, so that when the base portion of another card is mounted upon the guide 15 and is nested at its lower edge. between the tongues 13 of the first card and remaining portion of the base, the upper margin of the card body portion 12 of the nested card extends above the upper edge of the first card and its index matter is visible to an observer. In Fig, 3, the

card 10 is not divided by a crease or otherwise into two portions 11 and 12, for obtaining a hinged flap, as in Fig. 2, but comprises a continuous sheet of flexible material having the tongues 13 in the main body portion thereof,

.10 are similar to those of Fig. 2,

and is shown mounted upon a similar bar 15, in 8.8111111!!! drawer 16. In Fig. 4

but are of the downhanging type, i. e., with exposed free lower margins for index matter, and are mounted upon a guide 15 similar to those previously described, secured upon a vertical leaf '17 of the laterally swinging type.

In some instances, the drawers or record 7 carrying-memberslti are arranged so that they may be withdrawn from the cabinet and swung downwardly in front of the cabinet to a vertical or inclined position for easy reference It is, therefore, desirable to provide a support for the lowermost card, and a pair of fingers 20 may be provided for this purpose, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Similar supporting fingers 20 for limiting the downward movement of the cards are shown applied to the vertical leaf 17, illustrated 1n F ig. 4. At the upper portion of the body of mrds, on the other hand, is a card support 21 that is intended to lock the body of cards positively against longitudinal movement in an upward direction. Thus, where the body of cards is supported from beneath by supporting fingers, such as illustrated, or their equivccuts,

the cards the series of cards is positively,

. larly described. When locked in any one of its ossible )ositions on the record carr in 1 2:

member, the support 21 directly overlies and engages the tongues of the uppermost card of the series, i. e., the card having its top edge at the highest elevation. The manner in which the support 21 and said uppermost card co operate, is clearly shown in Fig. 6.

' When the drawers or trays 16 are used in an equipment where considerable reference is made to the cards, the card support 21 is usually placed in a position such as shown in Fig. 3, so that the cards may be separated to expose the main or body portion of a card, either for reference or for the posting of additional data thereon. It will be noted, however, that the lower'edge 19 of the exposed card (Fig. 3), because of the location of the card support, is retained to a slight extent beneath the upper edge of the overlying card so that while the main part ofthe card exposed by the separation is readily accessible for posting or the like, the separated cards may again be nested with the main body of the cards by the simple operation of pressing them together; whereas if the cardsupport was not used, the bottom edge 19 of the exposed card would possibly be in a position above the upper edge of the overlying card necessitating the lifting up of the overlying card in order to properly renest the cards. In Fig. 4, the cards 10 are supported upon the upper portion of the leaf 17 by the card support 21 in a compact'body, no allowance being made for separation between cards, as the same is not necessary when hinged cards are used.

The card support 21 comprises a strip of substantially fiat flexible material such as. sheet brass, having a plurality "of spacedtongues 22 at each end. It is desirable that the amount of spacing agree with the amount of overlap obtained between the respective cards. The corresponding tongues 22 at opposite side edges are in horizontal alignment so that the upper and lower edges 23 and 24-. of the strip, when the same isassembled upon equipment similar to that shown, are at right angles to the card supporting bar or guide 15. The drawers or leaves of the index equipment are provided along their longitudinal edges with a series of struck out pockets 25, each pocket 25 being of sufficient dimensions to receive one of the tongues 22. The pockets 25 are equally spaced from each other a sufficient distance so that only one tongue 22 at each side of the card support will be engaged at a time. It is necessary, therefore, that the distance between these pockets be an even multiple of the amount of overlap obtained between'the cards. A pair of struck out spacing ears 26 are provided in the card support to space the central portion thereof above the bottom surface of the drawer or leaf so that this central portion will lie flatwise across the guide 15, and be in proper position to insure engagement with the cards between the tongues 13 and the body portion 12, as shown in Fig. 6.

When our card supportis to be used, the index cards 10 are nested together and mount ed upon a guide 15, either in a drawer 16 or upon a leaf 17 or similar equipment, and the card support 21 is flexed, placed beneath the underneath card between the tongues 13 and the body portion 12, with opposite end tongues 22 engaged in opposite pockets 25. When additional cards are added to the index, the card support may be flexed and there-- by released from engagement with the pockets and moved along the record carrying member a suflicient distance to accommodate the cards so added, being again flexed'for positively securing it to the record carrying 7 member by engaging certain opposite tongues 22 in pockets 25.

When the body or group of cards in Fig. l, shown in full lines are retained upon the upper portion of the leaf, it is obviously possible one leaf or other record-carrying member can be used to advantage in indexes requiring but few cards by arranging the cards'in separate groups held in such separation by the improved card stop. Because of the positive locking feature of the card-stop the possibility of the various groups sliding toward each other and intermixing, isavoided, but the expansion of each group by the addition of other cards is allowed.

It is, therefore, obvious that an improved cardsupport is provided by our invention which is simple of construction and easily manipulated and adjusted to allow expansion or contraction of indexes of this type, yet being capable of performing the function of.

a positive card-lock or. stop when once located in the desired position. It is also obvious that our card-support may be advantageously used as a limiting means with equipment wherein it is'desirable to support What we claim is:

- 1. In a card index, a record-carrying member having record cards mounted thereon in nested overlapped relation, ,said cards being capable of sliding movement along said member, and means to prevent said cards from such sliding movement beyond a predetermined point, said means internestingwith one of said cards and being positively locked to said record-carrying member when in operative position.

2. In combination, a record carrying member, cards mounted thereon in overlapped relation, and means detachably secured to said record-carrying member and in engagement with one of said cards for supporting said cards, said means being adjustable relatively to said member in steps equal to the amount of overlap of said cards.

3. In combination, a record carrying mem ber having overlapping cards slidably mounted thereon, and means associated with said member to engage one of'said cards for supporting said cards. said means being capable of adjustment relative to said member in steps corresponding to the amount of overlap of said cards, and adapted to be positively locked to said member when in operative position whereby said cards are limited in their sliding movement on said member.

4. In a card index, a record carrying member having overlapping cards slidably mounted thereon, detachable supporting means engaging one of said cards and co-operating. with said member to be positively locked thereto in various spaced positions.

5. In a card index, a record carrying memher having overlapping cards slidably mounted thereon, means for supporting said cards and limiting the sliding movement thereof, said means being detachably secured to said record carrying member by co-operation with portions thereof, said portions spaced apart in proportion to the amount of overlap between said cards whereby cards may be added to or removed from said record carrying member, and said supporting means adjusted relative to the remaining cards ,so that the same relative limit of card sliding movement is obtained as previously present before such addition or removal. g

'6. In a card index of the character described, a record carrying member, said member being adapted to receive a series of index ing a series of spaced tongues at each end thereof and a series of spaced means on said frame for engaging said tongues, opposite tongues of the two series being engageable by at least one of said means. 7

8. In an index or file, a record card carrying member adapted to receive a plurality of record'cards, and a card support comprising a strip of flexible material having a series of equally spaced tongues at each end thereof,

whereby said card support is removably and adjustably attachable to cooperating parts on ,said carrying member.

9. In combination, a record carrying member provided with. means whereby a series of overlapping record cards may be detachably mountcdthereon and longitudinally slidable relatively thereto, and a card limiting stop removably and adjustably attachable to coopcrating parts secured to said. member and adapted to engage a card of such a series whereby the longitudinal movement of the entire series is limited.

10. In combination, a record carrying member provided with means whereby a series of overlapping record cards may be detachably mounted thereon and longitudinally slidable relative thereto, and a card support comprising a strip of flexible material having a series of equally spaced tongues at each end thereof, said record carrying member having a series of spaced pockets disposed longitudinally thereof along its sides, said pockets adapted to receive opposite tongues of said stop whereby said stop is detachably and adiustably secured to said member in any desired location 'said record carrying member having a series of spaced pockets disposed longitudinally thereof along its sides, said pockets adapted to receive opposite tongues of said support whereby said support is detachablyand adjustably secured to said member in any desired location along its length.

12. In j combination, a record carrying member provided with means whereby a series of overlapping record cards may be detachably mounted thereon and longitudinally 'slidable relative thereto, and a card support comprising a strip of flexible material having a series of spaced tongues at each end thereof, the spacing of said tongues being equal to the amount of overlap of said cards, said record carrying member having a series of spaced pockets disposed longitudinally thereof along its sides, the said pockets being an even multiple of said tongues, said pockets adapted to receive opposite tongues of said support whereby said support is detachably and adj ustably secured to said member in any desired location along its length 13. In a device of the class described, a record carrying member, a record bearing member having a body portion provided with a tongue extending therefrom, and a card support adjustably secured to said carrying member co-operating with said record bearing member between the body portion and the tongue thereof to retain said record bearing member in a predetermined position upon said carrying member.

14. In an index or file, a record carrying member provided with means to retain a series of record bearing members in nested overlapped relation thereon, and an adjustable card support adapted to inter-nest with one of said record bearing members whereby the series is supported in a predetermined position upon said carrying member.

15. In an index or file, a record carrying member provided with means to retain a series of record bearing members in nested overlapped relation thereon, and an adjustable card support adapted to inter-nest with one of said record-bearing members, whereby a group of the series is supported separated from the remainder in a predetermined position upon said carrying member.

16. In an index or file, a record carrying member, means on said member for retaining a series of index cards, index cards secured by said retaining means and arranged to lie flatwise in overlapped relation upon said carrying member, said cards each comprising a body portion having tongues extending therefrom, and means secured to said carrying member extending between said body portion and said tongues of one of said index cards for supporting said cards.

17. In an index or file, a record carrying member, means on said member for retaining a series of index cards, index cards secured by said retaining means and arranged to lie flat wise in overlapped relation upon said carrying member, said cards each comprising a body portion having tongues extending therefrom, and means secured to said carrying member beneath said body portion and engaging said tongues of one of the cards to support said cards.

18. In an index or file,a record carrying member, means on said member for retaining a series of index cards, index cards secured by said retaining means and arranged to lie flatwise in overlapped relation upon said carrying-member, said cards each comprising a body portion having a tongue extending therefrom, and means adjustably secured to sald carrying member, extending between said body portlon and said tongue of one of member, means on said member for retaining a series of index cards, index cards secured by said retaining means and arranged to lie flatwise in overlapped relation upon said carrying member, said cards each compri ing a body portion having a tongue extending therefrom, and means adjust-ably secured to said carrying member extending between said body portion and said tongue of one of said index cards to positively lock said index card upon said carrying member, said means being adjustable relatively to said carrying member in steps corresponding to the amount of overlap between said cards.

20. In an index or file, a series of overlapping index cards, and means to support said cards comprising a frame portion adapted to retain the cards flatwise thereon, and a removable card supporting portion, one of said portions being provided with a series of tongues, and the other portion with a series of tongue-receiving pockets whereby said portions are detachably secured together and the cards locked thereon.

21. In an index or file, a series of overlapping index cards and means to hold said cards in a flatwise position, comprising a card holding frame portion and a card supporting portion, one of said portions being provided with a series of spaced tongues and the other portion with a series of spaced tongue-receiving V pockets, the amount said pockets and tongues of the respective series are spaced apart being an even multiple of the amount of overlap between said cards whereby said cards are retained upon said card holding frame portion in any predetermined position by the cooperation of said tongues and pockets to secure said portions together.

22. In an index or file, a carrying member, a part associated therewith to guide and retain index elements therein, and. a member engaged over said part having adjustable connection with said carrying member for engaging and retaining said index elements against endwise movement on said part.

. 23. In an index or file, a carrying member, a part associated therewith for'receiving and holding index elements, and a strip member engaged over said part having opposite ends formed for adjustable cooperation and engagement with said carrying member for retaining index elements in assembled relation on said part.

24. In an index or file, a carrying member, a part associated therewith for receiving and holding index elements, and a strip member engaged over said part, having a plurality of tongues formed on the ends selectively engageable with openings formed in said carrying member.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 12th day of October, 1928.

WILLIAM H. DAY.

CLIFFORD R. THOMAS.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,722,563. Granted July 30, 1929, to

WILLIAM H. DAY ET AL.

It is hereby certified that the residence of the assignee in the above numbered patent was erroneously written and printed as "Tonawanda, New York",

whereas said residence should have been written and printed as "New York, N. Y.", as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same I may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of September, A. D. 1929.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

